Furnace-top.



PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

(LELGLARK. FURNAGE TOP.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 14. 1905.

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PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

G.H.GLARK. FURNACE-TOP. APPLICATION I'ILED OUT. 14. 1905.

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CHARLES H. CLARK, OF ENSLEY,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed October 14, 1906. Serial No. 282,853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HOMER CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ensley, in the county of J eiferson and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in blast furnace tops and means for charging and distributing in the furnace the stock supplied thereto by any suitable hoisting mechanism.

My invention relatesto that class of furnace charging tops which are moved or ro-' tated so as to effect an equal distribution of the stock in the furnace. This rotation of adj ustmentof the top has heretofore been effected by a separate motor carriedthereby or, as more commonlypracticed, by providing a train of reducing gears connected to the top and derivingrnotion from the hoisting apparatus at the upper end thereof near the top. The function of the gears in the latter construction is to give the top a determined rotary movement co-rel'ated with the movement of the hoisting apparatus, whereby the successive cars of stock are discharged into the furnace at predetermined and relatively equi-distant points in the travel of the top.

The purpose of this is to dispense with thenccessity of having men for charging the stock onthe furnace top, where there is. great loss of life, as it is possible by these mechanical means to distribute the stock in any desired manner. This mechanism is, however, open to the serious objection that the train of gears are located at the furnace top where they are exposed toheat, dust, andinjuries from the stock. Being subject to expansion and contraction and called upon to rotate a body of great weight, it follows that they are frequently in need of repairs, when it is necessary to work on them at the furnace top with the attend-ant inconvenience and danger to the men.

It is the objectv of my invention to improve themeans for giving the furnace. top], by mechanical devices and automatically, the de sired adjusting movements properly co-related with the supply of stock, such means being not only substantially unaffected by the adverse conditions prevailing at the furnace top, and so simple as to reduce to a top, but also considerably less expensive than the gear or separate motor drive, now

driving connection may be used between the prime mover and the top, such as shafting with universal joints or gear connected sections, but, as it is desirable to avoidrigid connections at the furnace top, I prefer to provide a flexible connection at this point.

More specifically I propose to drive the top by means of an endless rope, cable, chain, or similar device, deriving. its motion from a source of power responsive in its operation to the stock charging mechanism and adapted to automatically adjust the top with relation to the successive charges of stock so as to distribute the latter in the desired manner in the furnace. The driving cable for the top, which term I shall hereafter use as inclusive of any equivalent flexible driving means, may derive its motion directly or indirectly from. the engine driving the hoisting mechanism for the stock. I prefer to drive the endless cable from the. hoisting engine direct, using any desired speed reducing means conveniently disposed for repairs, as at the point. of control of the hoisting engine, and so designed asto give the said cable any desired relative movement to that of the hoisting cable or devices. Thus the driving cable for the top may be given a movement whose ratio, to that of the hoisting mechanism, is such that the top will turn one-fourth or any other desired fraction of a complete rotation during the lifting of a car of stock.

My invention comprises further details of improvement which are hereinafter more specifically set forth, but to which applicant does not desire to limit himself.

By reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodyment of my invention Figure 1, is a side elevation of a furnace provided with my improved charging mechanism. Fig. 2, is an enlarged detail view of the furnace top show ing more clearly the cable devices for effecting its rotation. Fig. 3, illustrates in side elevation the mechanism for driving fromthe hoisting engine the operating cable for the top. Fig. 4, is a top plan view of Fig. 2,

' with the hoisting apparatus removed. Fig.

5, is a top plan view of Fig. 3, showing one means for driving the endless cable. Figs. 6 and 7, are detail views of the connections between the main driving shaft and the driving pulleys for operating the cable for the top.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The furnace 1 may be of any desired construction, and as illustrated it is provided with the usual hopper 2 and bell 3,above which is disposed a top 4. This top comprises a rotatable distributing device for the stock, here shown as a discharge chute 5, which is disposed within the top and provided with flanges 6, which make 'a loose joint with the flanges 7 of the top. The chute 5 is connected toan annular plate 8 disposed above the'top and provided on its inner periphery with an overhanging raceway 9, which rests upon a series of antifriction balls 10 which run on a race-way 11, formed in a flanged portion of a supply hopper 12 into which the stock is dumped from the hoisting mechanism. I The hopper portion 12 is rigidly supported by the frame work 13 on the furnace top and thus serves to support the chute 5 so that it will rotate freely and with a minimum friction within the top. The annular plate 8, at its outer end, is provided with a pulley surface 14, around which is wound the driving cable 15 for the distributing chute, which constitutes the movable part of the top or broadly the rotatable top.

The particular construction of the top forms no part of my present invention as herein claimed, as any form of top now in use may be successfully used with my invention. Therefore the whole top or any part or parts thereof may be rotated by its driving mechanism within the scope of my present invention and claims. Y

I lead the endless cable 15 from the top over the pulleys 16 mounted on shafts 17 journaled to the main frame work 18 of the hoisting apparatus, to a pulley 19 mounted on a shaft 20, and after making a turn around this pulley I lead the cable under two pulleys 21 supporting a counterbalance weight 22, after which a turn of the cable in the reverse direction to the winding around a pulley 19 is made around a pulley 23 also mounted on the shaft and thence it continues back up to the top. As I prefer to dispose the driving means for the cable near the hoisting engine, the cable will be of considerable length and weight. To prevent this having an unbalancing efiect upon the rotaryportions of the top, I provide two pulleys 24 journaled in stationary supports 24 and disposed on each side of the top and on the opposite side from the hoisting mechanism. This is more clearly seen in Fig. 4, where it will be noted that the cable 15 passes fromright to left around both pulleys 24 and then after mak ing a complete turn around the pulley 14 is led back over the pulleys 16 to the driving mechanism. The counterbalance weight has connected thereto a pair of sheaves 25, in Which the pulleys 21 are journaled, its weight being suffic'ient to maintain the proper tension on the cable to prevent slipping. The driving connection for the cable 15, which includes speed reducin gears, is preferably direct connected to t e hoisting engine 26 through its shaft 27, to which are connected the main drums for the stock hoisting devices. The s eed reducing gears comprise a small gear 28 eyed to shaft 27 and meshing with a large gear 29. This latter gear is keyed to a countershaft 30, which also carries a small gear 31 meshing with a large gear 32'keyed to the shaft 20. This shaft 20 carries two ratchet wheels 33 and 34, having reversely disposed ratchet teeth. Each of the 5 pulleys 19 and 23 are loosely mounted on the shaft 20 and provided with reversely disposed dogs 35, adapted to engage the ratchet wheels 33 and 34. By these means the cable 15 is driven in the same direction regardless of the direction of drive of the hoisting engine and mechanism.

. The hoisting engine may be of any desired description and may act through any suitable instrumentalities to effect the hoisting and lowering of the dumping cars 36. This part of the apparatus shown has not been illustrated in detail as any of the means now in common use may be used with my invention.

Though I have shown an endless cable, it will be evident that without invention an endless sprocket chain may be used, in which case the annular periphery 14 of the plate 8 will be toothed. Also as before stated any equivalent flexible means maybe substituted.

Without attempting to further specify the advantages of my invention, which is of great practical utility, andwhich as required by the patent statutes I have illustrated in a complete operative embodiment, I desire to claim as new and protect by Letters Patent the following 1. The combination with a furnace having a movable top portion for distributing the stock, power means and means driven thereby which discharge stock upon said portion, of a driving connection between said movable top portion and a source of power, which connection is independent of said stock discharging means but adapted to move said top portion with a predetermined relationship to the operation of said stock discharging means.

2. In combination, a furnace having a movable distributing top, stock hoisting devices, a prime mover for operating said hoisting devices, instrumentalities for adjusting said top which are directly connected to said prime mover independently of saidhoisting devices, and means to cause said top to move at a predetermined speed with relation to that of the hoisting devices.

8. In a furnace charging mechanism, separate means for hoisting and distributing the stock in the furnace, a prime mover, and independent driving connections from said prime mover to said hoisting and to said distributing means, said driving connections for said distributing means comprising speed reducing means disposed adjacent to said prime mover.

4. The combination with a furnace having a movable top portion for distributing the stock and means to discharge stock upon said portion, of a flexible driving connection between said movable top portion and a source of power which moves said portion with pre determined relationship to the operation of said stock discharging means.

5. In a blast furnace top, a rotatable distributing portion, hoisting mechanism for the stock which is distributed by said portion, and means to drive said hoisting mechanism and distributing portion from the same source a hoisting engine, and an endless flexible driving means deriving motion from said engine at a predetermined ratio of speed relative to that of the hoisting means and adapted to operate said movable top, as and for the purposes described.

7. In a blastfurnace, a movable top portion, hoisting mechanism for the stock, an engine for driving said mechanism, and a cable driven by said engine and adapted to operate said top, as and for the purposes described.

8. In a furnace charging mechanism, a movable top portion, an endless cable or chain for driving said portion, hoisting machinery for the stock, and a driving connection between said cable or chain and the hoisting machinery comprising speed reducing means disposed away from and free of said top.

9. In combination, a furnace having amovable distributing top, stock hoisting mechanism, an engine, devices driven at different relative speeds by saidengine and operatively connected to said hoisting mechanism and top, the device for driving the top being disposed at a distance from said top and operatively connected therewith by a flexible driving means. i

10. In an apparatus of the character described, an engine, speed reducing gear means connected directly to said engine and driving an endless cable, hoisting mechanism driven by said engine, a movable furnace top which is operated by said cable, and supporting means for said cable.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. CLARK. Witnesses:

THOS. J. WINGFIELD, RoBT. D. J OHNSTON. 

